Radiator header construction



June 20, 1950 F. M. YOUNG RADIATOR HEADER CONSTRUCTION Filed m. 7, 1946 Patented June 20, 1950 RADIATOR HEADER CONS TRUCTION Fred Young, Racine, Wis., assignor to Young Radiator GompanygRacine; Wis., a corporation 1 of Wisconsim Application August 7, 1946',"Seria;l N0.689;018

Y 1 Claim.

This invention relates to headers for heatexchange devices and themethod of forming the same.-

In the construction oflarger size heat-exchange devices, for use withfiuids required to dissipate the "heatcreated by large, high-powered equipmentyit is the practice to fabricate the heattra'nsfer section forsuch 9, device from a plurality ofseparately-formed core units, each'um't being individually'assembled on a tank to constitute a completed heat-exchange device.

Each of the several core units is-a fabrication ofsh'eetmet'al-tub'esextending through a' bank of thinmetal fin'swith-the ends of the tubes extending throughand bonded to headerplat'es. Headers are thnsecuredto the header plates" which headers are-clamped'to-the tanks to afford fluid communication between the tubes of the several core units and the tanks for the circulation of the coolant.

The magnitude of the tank required for large size devices-makes ca'sting-the'only practical alternative to any other method of producing it. Heretofore'ithas'always been the practice to cast also the headers by which theseveral core units were attached to the tank. However,.-this has presented a number of problems. The headers being smalland' light-Weight, compared with the tank, difiiculti'es have been encountered in. forming these headers by foundry practices-designed for heavier. constructions. On the other hand, cast headers are poor conductorsof heat. Also, there is no assurance of uniform. thickness of the metal, which means an uneven heat transfer. Moreover, cast'meta-l'has a certain porosity which, with constructions of this type, presents the hazard-of-some leakage of. the fluid used as a coolant.

In addition to the foregoing difficulties there is the item of expense incurred in machining and of tin or alloy coating of the interior surfaces of such castings.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide an improved construction and method of producing headers for use in securing separately-fabricated core units in fluid communication with the tank of a large heat-exchange device; to provide improved construction and method of producing these separately-formed headers from sheet metal formations; and to provide improved means for attaching headers of this type to the tank.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a relatively large 2, heat-exchange device wherewith h'eaders;0011- struct'ed in accordance: with this invention, are especially adapted for usesin fabricating such a device;

Fig; 2 is an enlarged,-perspective, and partly sectional viewof a head'erembodying thi's invention shown attached" to oneend of one of the core units employed" infabricating a heat-exchange device-shown'in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are perspective views-of the three sheet-metal 'stampings which are fusion bonded together to formth improved header show-n' i'n the other views; and

Fig; dis a side-elevation ofthis improved header formed of the three aforesaid sheet-metal stampings, shown in association with the clamping means bywhich such headers are-preferably secured--in position-on the fabricated device shown in Fig; *1.

A heat-exchang'edevice, of'the type wherewith headers involving thie -invention have been designedfonuse, comprises atank I to which a plurality of separate core units 8 are connected by means of these improved headers 9 through the use of clamping means I'll. Such a heat-exchange device is designed for use-with coolants' required inth' -dissipation of heat generated byheavyduty machinery, asj;=for example; large trucks; tractors;- earth-moving machinery, aircompressors, Diesel-poweredlocomotives, and condensing towers. capacity such devices often are five, ten, and twelve 'feetin' height or length. They" have to h e-constructedto withstand high pressures,'and whenused onmobileunits must be able to withstand much vibration-and shock. It is imperat-iv'e, therefore,v that the various parts be rigidly constructed and firmly" assembled.

The tank 1, which, obviously, is quite a sizable unit, is cast metal or fabricated sheet steel. It is formed with a coolant chamber which, through suitable inlet and outlet ports (not herein shown), is connected in a coolant-flow circuit with a heat-producing machine and a source of coolant supply.

The core units 8, of more or less conventional construction, each comprises a plurality of tubes H, herein shown to be of fiat form, the ends of which extend through and are bonded to header plates 52 and on which, between the header plates 12, are mounted a plurality of closely-spaced, thin, metal, heat-dissipating fins l3. Other plates I 4 are secured at opposite sides of such an assembly to form a passage for fiuid, generally air, around and between the tubes H and fins [3,

To have the required heat-exchange which fluid is thus brought into heat-exchange relationship with the coolant flowing through the tubes ll Each header plate 12 is formed with a perimetrical flange I which interflts and is bonded to the header 9.

Headers 9 constructed in accordance with this invention each comprises three separately-produced sheet-metal formations, a base 9A, a standard 9B, and a cowl-like element 90, which are subsequently bonded in assembled relationship to provide an attachment for securing the core units 8 to the tank I and providing fluid communication between the ends of the tubes 12 and the chamber in the tank I.

The base 9A is formed with an opening I! and a perimetrical flange 18. The flange I8, in addition to contributing rigidity to the base 911., has interfitting engagement with the perimetrical flange l5 on a header plate 12, which flanges are bonded together, and thereby forming a chamber between the header plate l2 and base 9A'cafiording communication between the ends of thetubes l 1 extending through the header plate I2 and the opening I! in the base 9A.

* The standard 9B is formed with an opening 19 which is adapted to register with a comparable opening in the tank 1 when the headers 9 are clamped to the tank I to secure the heatexchange units 8 in assembled functioning relationship therewith.

The cowl-like element 9C is formed with outwardly-extending flanges 20 and 2| along the right-angularly disposed perimeters, the flange 2! being adapted to rest upon the base 9A and encircle three sides of the opening l1, whereas the flange 23 is adapted to contact the face of the standard SBaround the top of the opening l9 and along the edges of the part 9, divergently downward from the opening. The cowl 9 thus constitutes a conduit for fluid flow through the openings l1 and I9 between the ends of the tubes H and the chamber in the tank 1. The cowl-like element 5C also has formed a pad-like bulge 22 on the back thereof with which co-acts the clampingmeans H) for securing a header 9 in fluid-tight contact with the tank 1.

The clamping means [9 comprises bars 23, which are held in place by nuts 24 on stud bolts '25. The bars 23, as shown herein, are preferably of U-shaped form such that the ends of the parallel parts of the U fit over the pads 22 on adjacent headers, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. By means of the nuts 24, on stud bolts 25 anchored to the tank '1, intermediate each pair of headers 9, thestandard 9B of each header 9 is held in fluid-tight contact with the tank I.

The method of forming and assembling this three-piece metal-stamping header is more or less apparent from the foregoing description. After the formations have been separately produced the standard 9A is placed upright on the base I!) along one edge of the opening l7, preferably the straight edge as shown in Fig. 3. The parts are then suitably bonded together by brazing or welding. Subsequently the cowl-like element 9C is placed on the base with the flange 2| extending around the three other sides of the opening I! and with the flange 2U resting up against the face of the standard 93. These parts are then bonded together by brazing or welding.

Variations and modifications in the details of structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claim.

I claim: 1

A heat-exchange header fabricated from a separately-formed sheet-metal base having the perimetrical portion up set to provide a reinforcing flange for telescopically fitting a heat ex change core header plate and having an open ing formed in the flat part, one side of which opening is straight and parallel to one edge of said base and the other side of which opening is, arcuate-shaped, a metal plate standard likewise having an opening therein, and a sheet-metalcowl-like element having its perimeter outwardly flanged and disposed in two planes at right angles to each other, all bonded together with said standard disposed perpendicularly on said base along the straight edge of said base opening and with. the right-angularly-disposed perimetrical flanges of said cowl-like element respectively abutting the right-angularly-disposed faces of said assembled base and standard so as to provide an arcuate conduit connecting the openings in said base and standard.

FRED M. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,320,652 Sonneborn Nov. 4, 1919 1,606,204 Young NOV. 9, 1926 1,648,026 Murray Nov. 8, 1927 1,685,937 Darin Oct. 2, 1928 1,707,172 Nathanson Mar.v 26, 1929 1,934,021 Waiter Nov. 7 1933 2,153,806 Karmazin Apr. 11, 1939 2,360,427 Lapp Oct. 17,1944

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 396,672 Germany June 7; 1924 

